Holder for pens, pencils, &amp;c.



AxE. SMITH. HOLDER FOR PENS, PENCILS, m.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 3,1914- 1,174,770.

" Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Cm, WASHINGTON. b. c.

ALFRED n. sMrrH, or naonxvrrrn, NEW YORK.

HOLDER FOB runs, rnNcILs, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '2', 1916;

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,324.,

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Bronxville, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Holder for Pens, Pencils, &c., of which the following is a specification, the same being a 'full, clear, and exact description of the invention', such as will enable'others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. r

. .Hy invention relates to receptacles adapted to receive and sustain various articles,

and in particular to a holder or container designed to be used especially for a certain class of instruments, such, for example, as those terminating in a point and split at the nib and used for writing by means of a fluid ink, and also as those employing graphite for use in marking, drawing, or, writing, and having a tapering and pointed-end portion. Instruments of this character are or dinarily laid, either flatwise on a desk, etc., where they are apt to be in the way, or else, 011 an inkstand or in a rack which is usually placed atan inconvenient location and at some distance away. from the operator, wherethey are not handy for quick use.

The object of this invention is to provide a pencil and pen holder that will sustain the same either in a vertical relation, or at a suit able angle to the base, so as to be out ofthe way and still close to the hand of the user so as to be at all times readily accessible. .To attain the desiredend, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts and the combination of the same in a serviceable and efficient relation.

In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, I shallproceed to explain the same by reference to the drawings, illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, which accompany and form a part of this specification, and in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my holder without the base. Fig. 3 is a view indetail of my headed wire, and Fig. iis a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

In carrying out my invention I ordinarily assemble together a mass of wires either so as to stand in a vertlcal posltion or else preferably at an angle to the face of the frame or base serving to sustain the mounting or bed in which my wires are placed. These wires, as A, preferably have enlarged head portions, as a, positioned at the outer or free ends of the same, the said heads being preferably so made that the central part thereof shall be higher than the remainder of the heads in order to provide entering interstices between any two adjacent wires. From the raised central portion, the heads preferably taper down toward the circumference or outer edge of the same, although the conformation of the heads may be varied according to the requirements of any particular use thereof. The lower parts of the heads are preferably turned inwardly and so made as to provide faces in relatively flattened form so as to constitute yieldable, laterally disposed gripping points, The opposite extremities of the wires are preferably inserted 0r molded in a suitable mounting, as for example, a bed of flexible, yielding or elastic material, as B, preferably made of rubber in order that the resilient property of the same shall serve to allow the wires to yield and separate readily. when an instrument is inserted there between, and also to afford a better or clinging grip on the inserted article. The said elastic mounting also serves to bring the yieldable wires back to their normal positions again when the pencil etc. is removed from the holder.

It will be obvious, to one skilled in the art that the described article, comprising a mass of headed wires and an elastic base therefor may be made in a great varietylof forms and sizes, in all of which the readily separable and'clinging grip properties of' whatsoever. I, however, prefer to provide 7 my pen and pencil holder with a backingor supporting frame of a suitable and ap proved description as a fiat body, or prefer-, ably one havlng a socket or well, such, for

such as represented in the drawings at b,

in Fig. 4.

In some cases, in lieu of making the holder or support so as to stand upon a desk, table, etc., I prefer to' suspend it in a suitable manner, such as by the use of a base, as D, as illustrated in Fig. i, which support may be formed with suitable means of attachment, such as an orifice, as cl, in order to be conveniently hung up agains the wall or the like.

In operation, the pen or pencil may be instantly inserted into the mass of Wires which will separate and allow the instrument to enter therebetween without any danger of injury to the nib of the pen or the point of the pencil.

By the employment of my invention quite a number of pens and pencils may be compactly placed together in the device, if desired, which will hold them so that they will not have to lie on the desk andthey will thus be gotten out of the way, and yet be in .a convenient position to be quickly grasped by the hand when wanted for use. It will thus be seen that my device comprises a plurality or bunch of parallel wires or strands, as A, assembled closely together, and an elastic bed, as B, of sufficient thickness and firmness to hold the same 7061" se in juxtaposition or massed together. The said bed serves to grasp the inner ends of the mass or body of wires with a positive grip and to normally support and to partially obstruct or retard, but not to entirely prevent, movement at thesaid inner ends. In connection with the before named elements I also use a casing therefor having a rigid curb, wall or rim, as G, extending around the said bed to prevent any lateral movement whatever of the bed and wires at the inner portions thereof and to permit lateral movement of the wires at their free extremities and to limit the extent thereof according to the height of the. said inclosing rigid curb or rim, whereby the farther the pen, etc., is inserted into the holder the tighter the grip thereof becomes. Obviously the wires may be placed at any de sired distances apart from each other as, for example, where the device is required to be used for pens alone, the Wires may be positioned more nearly together than where it is used for both pens and pencils simultaneously.

The elastic bed or mounting may be made integrally in one piece, or it may comprise a bed composed of a plurality of sections if so desired, each one holding one or more wires. My device is thus not only simple and eflicient, but it is also durable as well, as there are no partsin it that are liable to become broken or worn out by use. In cases where an elastic rim of sufficient height and resilience isused, the bed may be of flexible, but not necessarily elastic, material.

I wish-it to be understood that I do not .solely by the elasticity of the bed, whereby a gripping action is established between the said wires .and bed sufficient to return the wires to their normal positions after having been separated by an entering instrument, the said wires having enlarged outer or freeportions forming heads, the central parts of the heads being higher than the remaining portions to allow a free entrance therebetween of an instrument, and the lower parts of the heads being made in-rel-atively flattened form to afford a grip to produce resistance to the withdrawal of the said instrument.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel strands assembled closely together, and an elastic bed of sufficient thickness and firmness to hold the mass in juxtaposition and to grasp the inner ends thereof with a positive grip and to normally support and retain the same in the desired parallel positions and to retard movement at the said inner ends, in combinationwith a casing having a rigid curb or rim extending around the said bed to prevent any lateral movement whatever of the bed and strands at the inner ends thereof, and to permit lateral movement of the strands at their free extremities but to limit the extent thereof, whereby the farther an instrument is inserted into the device the tighter the grip thereof becomes.

3. Ina device of the class described, a plurality of yieldable wires assembled to gether, and an elastic base or bed adapted to grasp the wires with a positive grip and to support and retain the same in the desired positions solely by the elasticity of the bed and wires, whereby a gripping acment of the Wires and to limit the extent tion is established between the said Wires In testimony of the foregoing specificaand bed sufficient to return the Wires to tion I do hereby sign the same in the city their normal positions after having been of New York, county and State of New separated by an entering instrument, 13 York, this 24th day of January 1914.

com ination With a casing having a rigi curb or rim extending around and inclos- ALFRED SMITH ing the said bed, to permit lateral move- Witnesses:

. GEO. W. ELKINs,

thereof. J. ODELL FOWLER.

Gopiesrof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gon1missioner of Patents,

Washington, D.-0. 

